Take inventory of your life and the people with whom you associate, do they add meaning to your life and raise you up? Or are there people in your life who are dragging you down and holding you back from experiencing your full potential? If you are happy and content with your life and your relationships, then congratulate yourself. However, if you are stuck and/or unhappy with where you are in life you may need to consider establishing new relationships by getting involved with sports.

It is often said in sports that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. Top performing athletes don’t avoid the tough competition, they embrace it because they know they have to perform at their best in order to compete at that level. This philosophy holds true outside of sports as well. If you want to be a great family person, spend time around people who are committed to their family. If you want to be healthy, spend time with and learn from those who practice healthy habits. If you are driven to grow in your faith, spend time with people who are strong in their faith. If you want to be a millionaire, spend time with millionaires, and if you are driven to have a successful career spend time with people who have been successful in their careers. It doesn’t even have to be the same career you have chosen, although that could be helpful!

In the end, your path is your own and you get to decide where you need and/or want to grow. By connecting with people who are on the path with you or those who have laid the path ahead of you, you get to learn through the shared experience. It also creates a great support group and mastermind where you can exchange ideas and offer encouragement. It’s all about connecting with people in purposeful ways versus superficial, meaningless, or even unhealthy relationships.